44 Jihadists Found Dead In Chad Prison: Prosecutor

A group of 44 suspected members of Boko Haram, arrested during a recent operation against the jihadist group, have been found dead in their prison cell, Chad's chief prosecutor announced Saturday.

Speaking on national television, Youssouf Tom said the 44 prisoners had been found dead in their cell on Thursday. They were among a group of 58 suspects jailed during a recent army operation in the Lake Chad zone, he added.

"Following the fighting around Lake Chad, 58 members of Boko Haram had been taken prisoner and sent to Ndjamena for the purposes of the investigation," he said.

"On Thursday morning, their jailers told us that 44 prisoners had been found dead in their cell," Tom said, adding that he had attended the scene.

An investigation was ongoing to determine how the prisoners had died, he said. "We have buried 40 bodies and sent four bodies to the medical examiner for autopsy."

yas-cma/jj/spm

44 Jihadists Found Dead In Chad Prison: Prosecutor

A group of 44 suspected members of Boko Haram, arrested during a recent operation against the jihadist group, have been found dead in their prison cell, Chad's chief prosecutor announced Saturday.

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.